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Echo Town Puts It All Together In H. Allen Jerkens

L and N Racing's Echo Town, a tough-luck runner-up against a familiar cast of rivals last time out, swept to the lead on the far outside and powered down the center of the track to earn his first career stakes triumph in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens presented by Runhappy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 36th running of the seven-furlong Jerkens for 3-year-olds was the third of five stakes, three of them Grade 1, worth $2 million in purses on a spectacular 12-race Whitney Day program highlighted by Improbable's victory over Tom's d'Etat in the 93rd renewal of the historic Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney for 3-year-olds and up, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Also on Saturday's card were the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets for older females, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff where champion Midnight Bisou was upset as the 1-5 favorite by Calumet Farm's Vexatious; the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for older turf horses; and the $200,000 Caress for older female turf sprinters.

Echo Town's drama-free triumph in 1:22.53 over a fast main track under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen came three hours after the same duo finished ran second with Midnight Bisou and had the outcome confirmed by a steward's inquiry following the jockey's objection.

A bay son of champion sprinter Speightstown that went unraced at 2, Echo Town had alternated wins and losses through his first six starts this year, capturing his January 18 debut at Fair Grounds and a March 13 open allowance at Oaklawn Park. Second by a head in the six-furlong Bachelor in April, he stretched out to seven-eighths for the first time last out, the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 20 at Belmont Park, where he overcame some early trouble to be second behind No Parole, the Jerkens' 2-1 favorite.

“It was great to see him put it all together when it matters so much on this stage. He ran solidly here. He ran really well into the Woody Stephens, but I thought the timing of this race was better,” Asmussen said. “He's run hard all year. He's run consistently all year. Now, he will be noticed.”

No Parole, seeking his third consecutive victory, found himself in familiar front-running fashion pressed by Grade 1 winner Eight Rings through a quarter-mile in 22.67 seconds and two-time Grade 3 winner Mischevious Alex after a half in 45.31. Tap It to Win, last seen running fifth behind Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20, moved up into a contending position with the leaders on the turn from his far outside post while Echo Town remained unhurried in fifth.

“He broke really sharp today and when the dirt started hitting him in the face, he was jumping a little bit but he was really comfortable,” Santana said. “I took him outside and he gave me a nice kick at the end. He was traveling really well. I knew there was plenty of speed today and I just wanted to sit behind the speed. I'm really happy with the horse.”

The top three turned for home together when No Parole along the rail began to drop back, leaving Mischevious Alex and Tap It to Win in a duel. Santana put Echo Town in a drive midway around the far turn, tipped furthest outside once in the straight and came with a steady run to catch the leaders and surge past for a 3 1/2-length victory. Tap It to Win, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, held off Echo Town's late-running stablemate Shoplifted by a half-length for second.

“I had a perfect trip. I broke on the outside and let him get his position going into the turn. I gave him his head but the other horse passed him easily. He put in a good run,” Velazquez said. “I think he's probably best going a flat mile. Today, he ran a really good race but because we had such a bad post, I had to let him burn a little bit so we could save a little ground into the turn.”

It was 1 1/2 lengths back to 28-1 long shot Captain Bombastic in fourth, followed by Sonneman, Mischevious Alex, Eight Rings, Hopeful Treasure, No Parole, Three Technique and Liam's Pride.

In giving both Asmussen and Santana their first career Jerkens victory, Echo Town returned $16.40 for a $2 win bet.

Purchased for $100,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, Kentucky-bred Echo Town earned $165,000 for the victory to push his career bankroll to $375,320.

Live racing returns Sunday to Saratoga to wrap up the second full week of the summer meet with a 10-race program featuring the $100,000 Birdstone for 4-year-olds and up going 1 ¾ miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Woody Stephens Top Four Return in Jerkens

Four out of the five runners from the GI Woody Stephens S., topped by winner No Parole (Violence), will face off again Saturday in a loaded renewal of the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga. ‘TDN Rising Star’ No Parole won his first three races against fellow LA-breds by a combined 34 lengths. Facing defeat for the first time when trying two turns in the GII Rebel S. Mar. 14, the bay returned to the winner’s circle when cut back to six panels in an Oaklawn optional claimer Apr. 24 and was last seen scoring a decisive victory in the Woody June 20.

Fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ Echo Town (Speightstown) captured a Churchill optional claimer May 25 prior to a runner-up effort in the Woody Stephens. The third-place finisher in that test, Shoplifted (Into Mischief), is also a ‘TDN Rising Star’ and winner of the Springboard Mile S. at the end of last year. Also exiting the Woody Stephens is fourth-place finisher Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief), winner of the GIII Swale S. Feb. 1 and GIII Gotham S. Mar. 7.

Eight Rings (Empire Maker) looks to return to his juvenile form in this test. Winner of the GI American Pharoah S. last term, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ could only manage sixth in the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile S. Nov. 1 and was fifth in his seasonal bow in Oaklawn’s Bachelor S. last time Apr. 25.

Tap It To Win (Tapit) should relish this cut back in trip. Capturing a six-panel event at Gulfstream May 9, the bay wired the field when stretched to 1 1/16 miles at Belmont June 4 and was wheeled back just 16 days later in the nine-furlong GI Belmont S., where he faded to fifth after setting the pace.

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No Parole Going After Consecutive Grade 1 Wins In H. Allen Jerkens Memorial

A rematch featuring the superfecta of last month's Grade 1 Woody Stephens will highlight another high-caliber contest, with No Parole looking to propel his 3 ¾-length victory into more glory in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial presented by Runhappy on Whitney Day at Saratoga Race Course.

The 36th running of the H. Allen Jerkens, a seven-furlong main track sprint for 3-year-olds, is one of five stakes overall on the 12-race card and part of three Grade 1s, joining the $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up, and the $750,000 Whitney for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/18 miles. The Personal Ensign is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland, while the Whitney will offer the winner an all-fees paid berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Carded as Race 10, the H. Allen Jerkens, formerly called the King's Bishop and renamed for the late Hall of Famer trainer known as the “Chief,” will have a post time of 6:18 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present full coverage beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

No Parole, owned by Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin, is unbeaten going one turn, registering a perfect 4-for-4 ledger in sprints. Overall, the Tom Amoss trainee has won 5-of-6 starts, including his gate-to-wire win in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens on June 20 over a fast Belmont track, earning his first triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure with an even 100.

Ahead of his first Saratoga start, No Parole worked twice over the main track, going four furlongs in 50.50 seconds on July 16 before being ramped up on July 24, when he covered the same distance in 46.42.

“He's doing well. He had a much more enthusiastic work last week, which was by design,” Amoss said. “Everything he had been doing before then was just easy. To sharpen him up, we put a good piece of work in him with a sharp half mile. He came out of it well.”

The sophomore Louisiana-bred son of Violence is unbeaten going one turn. In the Woody Stephens, he went to the front and led at every point of call, outkicking the Steve Asmussen-trained duo of Echo Town and Shoplifted, who he will face again on Saturday.

No Parole's only defeat took place in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park going a two-turn mile and a sixteenth. Amoss said his charge has continued to develop and improve from that effort, winning both of his starts.

“I think what you're seeing is just a typical development of a talented horse, if you take away the experiment of going two turns,” Amoss said.

Amoss, who is also an analyst for Saratoga Live, will have Luis Saez back aboard after the jockey piloted No Parole in the Woody Stephens in his first time aboard the colt. He will be back in the irons, breaking from post 6.

“I think he's the perfect rider for No Parole and he was my first choice when we came to Belmont and fortunately, we were able to get him,” Amoss said.

Bred by Coteau Grove Farms, No Parole is out of the stakes-placed Bluegrass Cat broodmare Plus One.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who will saddle Improbable in the Whitney in Race 9, will send out Grade 1-winner Eight Rings in the sprint contest. A debut winner last August at Del Mar, Eight Rings won a Grade 1 as a juvenile in the American Pharoah, named for Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner.

After running sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita, Baffert gave the son of Empire Maker five months off. But Baffert said he might have brought back the $520,000 purchase too soon, as Eight Rings ran fifth in the six-furlong Bachelor on April 25 at Oaklawn. He has since been training at Del Mar, and Baffert said he is expecting better things as he ships to New York for the first time.

“He's doing good. I probably shouldn't have brought him back in that last one,” Baffert said. “That might have been a trainer error there. But he's doing good and we're taking a shot.”

Eight Rings is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Frederick Hertrich, III, John Golconda Stables and Coolmore Stud. Joel Rosario will be aboard from post 2.

Asmussen will saddle three contenders, with the Hall of Famer sending out Woody Stephens runner-up Echo Town and third-place Shoplifted in addition to Sonneman.

L and N Racing's Echo Town has never finished off the board in six starts, posting a 3-2-1 ledger. Making his graded stakes debut last out, the Speightstown colt stayed next-to-last in the five-horse field through six furlongs before rallying for second. He earned a 93 Beyer for the effort, marking his fourth consecutive race registering at least a 90.

Ricardo Santana, Jr., aboard for Echo Town's last five starts, will have the return engagement from post 4.

Shoplifted will return to the site of his debut win last July when he posted a 4 ½-length score. Owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables and LNJ Foxwoods, the son of Into Mischief earned graded stakes blacktype with a second-place finish to Basin in the Grade 1 Hopeful last September at the Spa.

After running out of the money in the Grade 3 Southwest and the Oaklawn Stakes in the spring at Oaklawn, the $800,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select Sale was cut back in distance and ran third in the Woody Stephens. Staying at seven furlongs, Shoplifted will have the services of jockey Tyler Gaffalione from post 7.

Courtland Farm's Sonneman made his stakes debut in his fifth career appearance last out in what turned out to be a match race with Celtic Striker in the Easy Goer on June 25 at Belmont. Scratches whittled the field down to two, with Sonneman staying one length behind at the half-mile mark before Celtic Striker pulled away for a 19 ¾-length romp.

After posting two wins and two runner-ups in his first four starts, the Curlin colt will get another opportunity at stakes action, drawing post 3 with Jose Lezcano aboard.

Live Oak Plantation's Tap It to Win will make his first start since running in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20. Trained by Mark Casse, Tap It to Win broke his maiden at Saratoga last August and won his first two starts to his sophomore campaign before being stretched out in the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Tap It to Win is 2-for-2 in dirt sprints in his career and will try to extend that mark on Saturday.

“We're excited to get him back out there in the Jerkens,” Casse said. “His one race at Saratoga was extremely good in a sprint. We're hoping that going back there, he shows what he did last year.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who has won this race four times, including last year aboard Mind Control, will ride from post 11.

Mischevious Alex, a two-time graded stakes-winner for Cash is King and LC Racing, ran fourth in the Woody Stephens to break a three-race winning streak. Conditioned by John Servis, Mischevious Alex won the Grade 3 Swale in February at Gulfstream Park and followed with a two-length victory in the Grade 3 Gotham in March at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride, breaking from post 5.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart will send out New York-bred Captain Bombastic, the last-out winner against state breds in the Mike Lee, who carries a 3-2-1 record into his first graded stakes appearance. He picks up the services of Hall of Famer Javier Castellano for the first time, drawing post 10.

His stablemate, Three Technique, has two wins and three-runner up finishes in six starts with his only off-the-board finish last out when fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel in March on a sloppy and sealed Oaklawn track. Jose Ortiz will depart from post 8.

Rounding out the field is Liam's Pride, a last-out winner of the Gold Fever on a sloppy Belmont track on July 10, for trainer Doug O'Neill [post 9, Dylan Davis]; and Hopeful Treasure, conditioned by Michael Pino, who will make his first start against graded stakes company [post 1, Manny Franco].

For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Short, But Talented Field Set for Woody Stephens

The streaking Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) will look for his fourth straight score, third at the graded level, versus four fellow sophomores in Saturday’s GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park.

A jaw-dropping seven-length winner of Gulfstream’s GIII Swale S. at this same seven-furlong distance, the speedy bay outslugged 10 rivals for a sharp decision in the GIII Gotham S. going a one-turn mile last time at the Big A Mar. 7.

“I’d love to be running in the Belmont,” trainer John Servis said. “But I wanted to run him shorter first back off the layoff and then stretch him out after that. The Woody Stephens seemed like a good spot.”

Mischevious Alex, campaigned in partnership by Cash is King and LC Racing, fired a five-furlong bullet in :59 4/5 (1/70) at Parx June 9.

“He’s training very good coming into the race,” Servis said. “We had some time between races with the coronavirus and I eased off on him a little bit because we didn’t have a schedule.”

‘TDN Rising Star’ Echo Town (Speightstown) could find himself in the garden spot if Mischevious Alex hooks up with the rail-drawn ‘TDN Rising Star’ No Parole (Violence).

Echo Town was a painful second when a head short of Long Weekend (Majesticperfection) in the Bachelor S. at Oaklawn Apr. 25, then refused to lose after dueling throughout in an optional claimer at Churchill Downs May 25. The 9-5 morning-line favorite makes his first start beyond six furlongs here.

If you forgive No Parole’s eighth-place finish when stretched to 1 1/16 miles in a sloppy renewal of the GII Rebel S., the Louisiana-bred has been ultra-impressive in his four other trips to the post, including a front-running optional claiming tally going six furlongs in Hot Springs last time Apr. 24.

“We think he’s a top sprinter,” trainer Tom Amoss said.

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